MEET AIN EARLE
Photo Credit: @itsprettybranded
CBN: Hi ! We’d love to learn more about you, your story and what you are focused on professionally – whether it’s a business, nonprofit, artistic career etc. Please tell our readers about what you do, what you feel is most exciting or special about it, as well as anything else you’d like folks to know about your brand/art/etc.
Ain: As an avid supporter and advocate of Trinidad and Caribbean fashion and creativity coupled with my cultural background (former Exodus tenor player and first Exo-Cubs captain) and an educational background in Tourism and Hospitality Management (BSc & MSc), I thrive on attaining quality service, awareness and acceptance of local talents and products. My professional background includes working in Project Coordination and Event Management, Product and Business Development, Tourism Marketing, Community Development, Communications, Marketing and PR over a span of ten years before going fulltime into entrepreneurship in 2016.
I am the founder and lead Brand Consultant for The Fashion Arch, curator of The Fashion Arch Lifestyle and owner of local boutique - The Fashion Arch Gallery. The Fashion Arch works with fashion designers and creatives both locally and regionally to craft and create brand stories to bring greater awareness to their work and purpose. I work with creative individuals to ensure their expressions and talents are developed, promoted and sustained for success. I also assist with marketing plans, PR, curation of art exhibitions and event coordination for clients. I started The Fashion Arch Lifestyle as a way of keeping relevant and pivoting during the current global pandemic, where I was able to integrate my services to include collaboration with local production to create my own clothing line of lounge and work wear along with curating wellness packages by utilising local artisans’ products and services.
June 2024 marked the one-year anniversary for The Fashion Arch Gallery, where we have been able to host over 25 local and regional brands in the space as well as host Pop-Ins, Sip and Paints, Bra Fittings and Sip and Create events!
CBN: It’s wonderful to meet you! Thanks for that lovely insight. What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
Ain: I have been hosting and curating Pop Ups since 2014, working with almost 100 creatives and brands over the years. Doing these events solidified the idea of starting the consultancy I now have and the end goal and dream was always to make this a permanent service. I also have been representing regional brands at various trade and pop-up market events in the Caribbean and in the US. June 2024 marked the one-year anniversary for The Fashion Arch Gallery, where we have been able to host over 25 local and regional brands in the space as well as host Pop-Ins, Sip and Paints, Bra Fittings and Sip and Create events!
“I have been through a lot of loss early in my adult life, I lost one of my close friends right after high school and then my grandmother when I turned 20. These two losses triggered an autoimmune condition, Alopecia, causing me to lose all my hair over a 4-5 year period year. This was a challenging period as I had to not only watch my hair falling out but go out in public and deal with questions and stares.”
CBN: How did you find your purpose?
Ain: I have always wanted to work or have my own consultancy. My educational background is in Hospitality and Tourism and I have worked in various capacities in this field from administrative, product development and marketing. Only when I started hosting a fashion market with a colleague did I realise that I enjoyed ideation and assisting creatives with strategy to tell their stories and finding ways to build their awareness. This is where The Fashion Arch was born.
CBN: How did you develop your confidence and self-esteem?
Deserrie: I have been through a lot of loss early in my adult life, I lost one of my close friends right after high school and then my grandmother when I turned 20. These two losses triggered an autoimmune condition, Alopecia, causing me to lose all my hair over a 4-5 year period year. This was a challenging period as I had to not only watch my hair falling out but go out in public and deal with questions and stares. Society has made it clear that women should have long flowing hair (Black Panther did help but this was long after). I hid my condition for years, it was only when a friend came up to me to tell me about her daughter's condition and if I would be ok talking with her. I still was not very comfortable in sharing my story but I knew the importance of being able to support others during their journey. Out of this I was able to create a group and space - Bald Beauty which was used as an outlet for me to get back my self esteem and be able to educate and share with others going through the same. This platform not on helped me but also gave others the confidence to do the same on their terms. We still get stares, dreaded questions and so much more.
We thank you Ain for sharing your BOLD JOURNEY!
Contact/Follow: ain@thefashionarch.com | @thefashionarchtt @thefashionarchgallery
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